The judge looked between the two lawyers as Blair stood, poised and unwavering. “Your Honor, as I was saying, the evidence is clear. Mr Woodsen’s actions have left my client no choice but to seek this divorce.”

Roman, standing opposite, shook his head slightly, his voice smooth and controlled. “Respectfully, Your Honor, my client maintains that this is an overreaction. There are mitigating circumstances that have been ignored in the rush to judgment.”

Blair’s eyes narrowed as she addressed the judge. “There is no ignoring the facts, Mr. Roman. The infidelity, the financial irresponsibility, these are not ‘mitigating circumstances,’ they’re grounds for this divorce.”

Roman smiled, but it was a calculated, almost cruel expression. “And yet, the law is clear. Just because a spouse makes mistakes, doesn’t automatically mean they are entitled to such drastic action.”

Blair turned slightly, her voice steady as she continued. “The court’s duty is to protect the innocent party. In this case, Serena has suffered enough, and it’s time to bring this matter to a close.”

The judge, silent for a moment, glanced between them. “I think we’ve heard enough for now. Court will reconvene tomorrow at 10 AM.”

Blair grabbed her bag as the judge dismissed them, trying her hardest not to look at the man behind Roman. He was doing quite well too, not even looking at her. The bastard.

She still had to endure thinking about him every night since they had gotten separated, and it seemed it wasn’t mutual, she hadn’t even felt his eyes pass over her through the trial.

The crowd in the room had completely thinned and she was on her way out when she heard a voice that still sent thrills through her hardened heart. The traitorous organ was betraying her now and she couldn’t afford to show that to him lest he thought he still had power over her.

“Miss Kensington, long time no see”.

Blair turned around to level a cold glare at him, irritated to see that he already had one on his face first.

“Mr De Leon, I wish it would stay that way”, she hoped she was using her hardest attorney voice. There wasn’t a single ripple of emotion on his face, nothing to show that he was affected by her presence. They had really been a lie, she didn’t know why it was so hard for her heart to see that.

He was bigger when he stood up, his broad shoulders catering perfectly to his sharp suit. She really hadn’t seen him in so long. He had been away from the news completely and his career had gone to a grinding halt. He did it to himself, but she hated how she still felt bad for him. The only times she had ever seen him smile brighter than when he was playing a game was when he was with her, and he lost both of them at once.

“So do I. Unfortunately I have many friends with unhappy marriages”, he said, putting his hands in his pockets, “and you’re in the interesting business of helping them destroy it before it could be fixed”.

Blair felt that as a dig against her. Like he was daring to accuse her of breaking their marriage like it wasn’t his own fault!

“My clients have uncaring assholes for partners. I’m just doing the Lord’s work”, she bit back, her hand squeezing her purse at her side. His face remained the same. Blair didn’t know how to deal with this new Carlos. The man who had been hers once upon a time never had such a plain grim expression on his face. He was like the sun, always shining, always making everyone else around him shine too.

But now?

Now, he was ice. Calculated. As if every part of him had been sanded down into something presentable, something untouchable. There was nothing left of the man who used to kiss her knuckles in the morning just to make her laugh before work. Just this… stranger with her ex-husband’s mouth and none of his warmth.

Carlos tilted his head slightly. “Is that what you tell yourself? That you’re saving them?”

Blair’s jaw clenched. “If I didn’t believe it, I wouldn’t do it.”

“Funny. That’s what I used to think about you too. Before the headlines.”

She stepped forward before she could stop herself, all her efforts at trying to pretend she didn’t care at all about their previous marriage shrivelling to dust. “You didn’t even try to explain-”.

He raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t really want an explanation. You made your decision like you’d always known I’d really betray you.”

That stopped her cold. And for a moment, the mask over his face slipped, just barely but she could still see. Something flickered in his eyes. Not warmth. Not regret. Something more dangerous.

“You walked away first, Blair. You didn’t trust me. Don’t pretend it didn’t kill me too.”

Her hand tightened again, and she almost, almost let herself break in front of him. But she didn’t. Because Blair Kensington didn’t break. Not anymore.

“And yet,” she whispered, voice like venom, “you seem perfectly alive.”

“At least I don’t have a career on the basis of making people unhappy”, he said, his voice rippling gently across the room. Blair hated that it still had an effect on her.

“At least I have a career, I don’t have to pay people to cover up my tracks”, she quite nearly yelled, angry at him and angry at herself for letting him still be able to press her buttons.

She could tell that hit him where it hurt and she nearly wished she could take it back. It had to be his biggest sorespot. His ex-wife was flourishing and making bank while his lifelong passion had been shut down.

“What did I ever see in you?”, he asked, gritting his teeth down hard.

“My success? My beauty? I have a lot where those come from. You though? I can’t see what I saw in you”, and Blair knew she was just trying to say things that would make him mad and make him hurt like she was hurting. She hoped it was working, she couldn’t be the only one caught in this tangle of hurt and pain and regret masquerading as hate.

A flash of a camera distracted Carlos from what he was going to say next.